Fruits of the Hunt {Duck Dinner Party with Twins}

Gargoyle-ish duck 'trophies' proudly displayed on our front porch

Not exactly celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving, but extremely grateful for Peter's first home weekend on the occasion of the national holiday up north, we cooked up the ducks for Sunday's dinner.  Our special guests for the feast were our little twin friends, Luke and Leia, whose visits are always joyful and fun.

Stuffed, seasoned and ready for the oven

Not known as much of a carnivore, Luke chomped down a few pieces of the steak-like delicacy before he realized what was going on.  Peter gladly claimed Luke's portion, though, so nothing went to waste. 

Joseph reads to 'Leia' as Rocky stands guard.

In the early morning fog, driving home after collecting the twins, I mentioned that we would be going to Church together and that there would be music, since it was Sunday. "Where's the sun?"  Luke demanded.  As might be expected of a pair of rambunctious threes, Luke and Leia found it impossible to stay quiet and hold still in the pew, so we took advantage of the parish nursery midway through the Bible readings.  As a result, the other Mass-goers could better hear Father Joseph's fine homily, preceded by another cassock controversy update. 

The twins always enjoy attending Mass with us and love the holy water font in the entryway.  Oftentimes and at odd times,  Luke will beg me to please take him to Church.  Many of our friends there have known these two since they were about eleven months old, so there's quite a fan club of admirers and prayer warriors.

'Luke' practices his daredevil stunts on the plasma car.

Peter's time with the twins may have taken second place behind his first-ever hunting experience as the 'high' of his home visit weekend.  But the 'low' must certainly have been the three hour slog back to school on Monday night; especially the two hour crawl to the border at Sumas.  Luckily the gate at Westminster Abbey had not yet been locked, so Peter was able to rejoin life at the high school seminary, already in progress.  Joseph spent a few minutes helping Peter haul his gear to his room and desk, and after a short visit with other parents we headed back toward the US border.  We were the only car and the wait was 0 minutes, so the balance for the night was an hour each way if you average the two crossings. 

{Note to self: Double or triple travel time to Canada on Canadian holidays.}

Peter and 'Luke' ride tandem on the plasma car.

"I like this meat!" exclaimed Leia, after tasting the roasted duck at dinner.

Nearly as tall as Grandma Billie; Peter's recent growth spurt is hereby recorded for posterity.

Opening Day {+ Duck Cleaning 101}

Peter's first hunting expedition

Peter's first home weekend from high school seminary just happened to coincide with opening day of hunting season.  Having recently completed hunter education classes along with Joseph, Peter gladly agreed to spend most of Saturday tromping through marshy fields in pursuit of ducks.  Donning camouflaged gear and packs loaded with ammo, the guys set out at dawn for the nearby duck hunting territory with high hopes. 

Joseph: his first duck down, with high hopes for another shot

For Peter, the 6AM alarm allowed a bit of a sleep-in compared to his usual routine at school.  Up and ready to roll, the guys grabbed a quick bite for breakfast before departing for the big hunting expedition.  Rubber boots and hip waders in tow, Tim and the boys found a spot with likely resident ducks and began their pursuit in earnest.  A few shots and several hours later, the score was Tim: 1, Peter & Joseph: 0. 

Peter displays his dad's first duck of the season.

The plucking and cleaning of duck #1, captured on video by Joseph (see below), should be a fun keepsake from the boys' first hunting expedition.  Turns out Peter's chores at the monastery included helping gut over 50 chickens on slaughter Saturday, so he willingly volunteered to handle the primary duck cleaning duties.  With only a little instruction from Tim, the bird was neatly prepared for cooking and put up.

Charlie jumps to investigate the prize.

One hunting trip (netting one duck) on opening day just couldn't satisfy, so after a rest and reload at home (with a glimpse of the Huskies vs Ducks game on TV), they headed out for a second round in the nearby fields.  This time Joseph's aim was spot-on, and he brought home his first duck.  Tim connected with two more ducks, and the day was deemed an overall victory.  Dusk fell as they loaded up their guns and headed toward home.

Peter cleans a duck for dinner.